Residents fed up as Chinese new year fireworks last till midnight

2026-02-17 - 03:06

CHONBURI — 17 February 2026, Residents of a housing estate in eastern Thailand have complained of noise and disturbance after fireworks were set off until midnight during Chinese New Year celebrations. On 00:00, reporters received complaints from villagers about ongoing fireworks during Chinese New Year inside the Chokchai 9 housing estate in Soi Khao Noi, Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province. The estate is largely home to foreign nationals, most of them Chinese. A resident, who asked not to be named, said fireworks were still being set off continuously despite the time passing midnight. He said the late-night explosions caused significant disturbance. There are many elderly people and children living in the estate, he added, and they have been affected by the loud noise and smoke from the fireworks. The setting off of fireworks in residential areas is already in violation of the law. Under current Thai noise control regulations, permissible noise levels between 22:00 and 06:00 are determined by the difference from the ambient background sound level. The law stipulates that noise from a specific source must not exceed the existing background noise level by more than 10 decibels A-weighted, or 10 dB(A).